U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold used taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment claim brought by a former staffer, according to a Politico report published Friday. Full Story
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The revised Texas House sexual harassment policy includes language that strengthens protections against retaliation and provides specific steps to report inappropriate behavior. It comes about two weeks after The Texas Tribune detailed flaws in the former policy that often left victims to fend for themselves. Full Story
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Patrick requested that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issue an opinion on guns in church. The lieutenant governor said he hopes more churches will know they have the option to have guns in their buildings. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Joe Barton announced Thursday he’s set to retire in 2018 amid a nude photo controversy, Texans may qualify for welfare benefits without ever getting them, and Texas has the fourth highest number of hazardous military sites that have cost tens of billions of dollars in cleanup so far. Full Story
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Texas’ rolls of cash assistance recipients under its TANF program have steadily shrunk over the last two decades. Some experts say the bureaucracy guarding the state’s safety net makes it difficult to access those benefits, even for Texans who fit the requirements. Full Story
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The infestation of Norwegian rats in a state building where health regulators work is not only a big, embarrassing mess — it's a metaphor for a persistent problem in Texas government. Full Story
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During the next two fiscal years, Texas is set to spend roughly $200 per child per month through the Children's Health Insurance Program. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, the longest-serving Texan in Congress, announced that he is retiring after a tumultuous week. Full Story
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Juvenile justice reform advocates want all the state's youth lockups closed after the department's latest sexual misconduct scandal. Full Story
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It appears that Texas will not ask the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a case against the state's restrictions on language interpreters at the ballot box, letting a lower court ruling stand. Full Story
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Watch the video of our event in Houston on the health care landscape following Hurricane Harvey. Or check out our recap below. Full Story
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Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez denied reports Wednesday night that she had resigned ahead of a gubernatorial run, a deadline looms for the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the state’s poverty rates have remained consistent as welfare has seen a big drop. Full Story
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Though poverty rates have remained consistent, Texas has significantly reduced the traditional welfare it provides to poor Texans through cash assistance over the last two decades. Full Story
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Texas is pushing the federal government for temporary funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program while Congress fights over a permanent solution. Full Story
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Democratic Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez says she's still considering a run for governor, but that reports that she has resigned are false. Full Story
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The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has a $60,000 vermin problem, and is hiring private exterminators to deal with an estimated "several hundred" sewer rats in the building. Full Story
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On this week's TribCast, Emily talks to Evan, Ross and Patrick about the fallout from a graphic nude picture of Congressman Joe Barton, the fired A&M football coach's $10 million payout and the latest in campaign news. Full Story
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The decision by two of the country’s top Democrats to back out of a meeting at the White House doesn’t mean legislation protecting young undocumented immigrants from deportation is off the table. It could signal even further delays, though. Full Story
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Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has a primary challenger for 2018, and the state’s largest pretrial system has been thrown into chaos after its bail bond system was declared unconstitutional. Full Story
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Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is getting a primary challenge from Trey Blocker, the longtime lobbyist, ethics adviser and attorney from Austin. Full Story
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